Spectroscopic tools such as electron beam induced X-ray signal or back scattered electron signal spectroscopy using a scanned electron beam can provide data from a material sample. From that data, mineral, compositional, elemental or phase maps can be formed, or from which at specified image points the phase, mineral composition, or elemental composition present at those points can be identified.
Such tools were initially mainly used for what may be referred to as fundamental research at Universities and research laboratories. The technology surrounding such tools has matured to a point where they are now more commonly found in commercial operations, such as their use by mining companies to facilitate assessment and exploration at a particular plant or prospecting area.
As a result of this shift in the application environment for such spectroscopic tools, a major challenge now is to provide the analytical tools complementing the spectroscopic tools. The analytical tools should enable powerful and flexible processing and statistical analysis of the spectroscopic data obtained.
It is with the knowledge of the above-mentioned challenge and problems with existing solutions that the present invention has been made, and is now reduced to practice.